


Indelible

by team_freewill



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 10:27:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5044777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/team_freewill/pseuds/team_freewill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><span class="u">Indelible</span>:<br/>•   <i>(of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed.</i><br/>•   <i>not able to be forgotten.</i></p>
<p>Or, pretty much the story of Mike and Harvey and their domestic fluffiness told along a timeline of Mike’s ever-growing collection of tattoos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Indelible

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song of the same name by Jen Buxton
> 
> Inspired by [this gif](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/tattoos.gif)
> 
> It's my personal headcanon (and kink) that Mike has tattooed, therefore this fic was bound to happen one day. 
> 
> Links to tattoos I imagined (or similar to) can be found in the end notes. If you guys think I should link them throughout the fic then let me know :)

  
_The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance – Aristotle_

  


The first one happens just days after Will is born and Harvey doesn't think much of it. Simple script, etched into Mike's left bicep, the black ink a sharp contrast to pale skin.

_**William** _

It's beautiful in its simplicity; elegant, meaningful, close to his heart.

They don't discuss it at first, it’s no big deal, it's just another thing that's there. More than once Harvey's hand brushes it accidentally and Mike lets out a soft gasp of pain and jerks away, but they don't speak of it until it's completely healed.

They're lying together in bed, basking in the calm quiet of a blissfully sleeping newborn, happy to have time to just be together. It's healed now, the skin is no longer red and Mike's finally stopped fidgeting restlessly in an attempt to not scratch. Harvey lets his fingers trail up the soft skin of Mike's arm, pausing only briefly before his fingertips trace the looping black ink.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Mike looks almost guilty but his voice is soft and earnest and he’s smiling gently, "I think I would have chickened out. I've always wanted one but I was never sure of what to get. The minute I saw him though, I knew, and I didn't want to back out. I knew talking about it would let doubt creep in."

Harvey kisses the marked skin, still amazed that it feels no different to the rest of Mike; if his eyes were closed he wouldn't even know it was there.

"I love it.” He whispers against the skin, soft kisses pressed repeatedly before he moves to place one on Mike's lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"I still can't believe he's ours."

Harvey kisses him once again, "Neither can I."

**********

Three years later, on the anniversary of Edith's death, the next one comes.  
Mike always takes the day off work to spend the morning at the cemetery, to reconnect with his grandmother and to deal with his pain privately. Harvey always makes sure he has that time, even if Mike tries to argue about needing to be at work or needing to look after Will.

Some days having a three year old is no big deal, they have their routine and their plans, and most of the time everything works out just fine.

This time isn't one of them.

Annabelle, Will’s sitter, called in sick the night before, she couldn't watch over him, and normally Mike would stay home with him, he even offered to this time. But this is Mike's day with Grammy, the one day a year he takes for himself, and Harvey won't take that from him. 

Harvey decides almost instantaneously that William will just have to go to work with him for the morning, that Donna can revel in being an aunt for a few hours, and Mike can pick up Will when he's done.

Admittedly Harvey thought it would be a lot earlier than 2pm but he's not complaining.

Mike enters his office and Harvey doesn't even notice he's there until a loud "Daddy!" circles around the room and makes him look up. Mike crouches down to catch the small child that’s run into his arms, lifting Will high above his head, smiling when his son bursts out into squealing laughter. He settles Will on his hip as he moves towards Harvey, dropping a soft kiss on his lips before turning his attention to Harvey’s laptop.

“What are you working on?”

Harvey knows it’s Mike’s way of saying he doesn’t want to talk about his morning, that he needs to let it go for now and he’ll bare his soul later when they’re wrapped up in soft, cotton sheets, focused only on one another.

“Jefferson’s deposition.”

“Oh how’d it go?”

Harvey goes to speak, snapping his mouth shut quickly as he spares a glance at Will. Mike knows immediately Harvey was about to rant, to use words they don’t want their son hearing for at least another ten years. Instead he swallows and changes his words.

“It was fine.”

Mike smirks at him cheekily; it’s always been harder for Harvey to keep his language clean around Will.

“What is that?” It comes out harsher than Harvey had intended but he’s honestly just surprised. He can see a pinch of green peeking out from underneath the sleeve of Mike’s shirt, red raw skin protesting at the new intrusion, but it’s stopped bleeding and it’s no longer covered in cling-wrap so it’s obvious to Harvey where Mike’s first stop had been that morning.

Mike looks somewhat guilty, like once again he’s not sure how Harvey will react to the ink and maybe he should have discussed things with him first. He sits Will onto Harvey’s lap to free his hands, carefully rolling up his shirtsleeve to expose a small, bright green star sitting just beside his left wrist bone.

Will’s eyes light up the moment he sees it, the loud “Wow!” making Harvey jump slightly in his seat. 

Immediately the boy moves to touch it, Harvey grabbing his small hand just in time and turning to look at his son, “Nu-uh. We don’t touch Daddy’s new tattoos. See how it’s still red? That means it still hurts. You can touch once it’s healed, okay?”

Will doesn’t even look put out, just simply agrees, still smiling, and Harvey thanks his lucky stars that they were blessed with such an amazing child. He looks back up to Mike and can see the same sentiment evident in his eyes, as well as an unwavering gratitude to Harvey for being so understanding.

“It’s for her.”

Harvey lifts Will and stands, settling the small boy on his hip and moves closer to Mike, kissing him gently on the lips, “I know.”

**********

The next one Harvey hates at first sight.

It's only been two months since the last one, and even though they've never talked about it and Harvey's never shown Mike any signs of displeasure, he's not sure he entirely agrees with the quick progression.

Really, he knows that’s just an excuse; he really just hates the new tattoo.

Three jigsaw pieces, pieced together, right in the middle of Mike's left forearm. One's coloured black, the other two merely outlined, and it's weird... the tiny tattoo looks out of place in the middle of such an array of empty, pale skin.

Harvey understands the concept immediately but that doesn't mean he has to like the tattoo itself. It's the three of them, a family, fitting together, finding their place in the world together, and it's beautiful. Harvey still hates it.

They don't talk about it.

It's glaringly obvious and Harvey makes no attempt at concealing his displeasure, but still Mike doesn't try to explain himself, instead he pretends like it’s nothing new and indulges Will whenever he wants to touch it. The kid is just amazed by Mike’s ever growing collection of ink.

Harvey would be amazed by it too if they were three simple outlines. It’s the black he despises so much. He knows that the black piece represents Mike, the dark horse, the shadow constantly threatening their happiness and their livelihoods. It’s not a sentiment he agrees with on any level, thus, the blinding hatred.

Harvey thought he would be able to hold out, he really did, but it only takes about a month until he’s unable to keep it to himself any longer. They’re cooking dinner together in the kitchen, Will happily watching TV on the sofa. It’s spaghetti night, something that Harvey and Mike always cook together (Mike’s spaghetti sauce is legendary after all), and they usually use the time to unwind together, focus on one another and allow themselves to fall into the routine of working as a team. The air has been thick tonight, a tension brewing and intruding on their time together, and while Harvey knows it’s his own issues coming forth, his desire to talk about that horrible tattoo hanging over them like a storm, and he’s sure Mike can feel it too. 

Mike doesn’t say anything though; only throwing quick glances at Harvey every now and then, the question unasked but evident in his eyes. Harvey kisses him whenever Mike’s expression clouds too much, desperate to see him smile again, but still Harvey doesn’t offer up any explanation. 

It isn’t until Mike’s plating up their dinner, preparing to serve, that Harvey finally speaks up. He’s moving past Mike, headed out of the kitchen to get Will cleaned up for their meal when he stops, a hand on Mike’s arm halting the younger man’s movements as well.

He glances at Mike’s left arm before pressing a quick kiss to his lips, “That is not staying like that. Get something else to go with it.”

They don’t speak another word about it.

**********

Six months later the Batman silhouette appears and Harvey fucks Mike so hard they can hardly breathe, let alone move, for quite sometime. Harvey stays plastered atop Mike’s body, kissing whatever skin he can reach without moving, enjoying the feel of Mike’s lithe body under his own.

Mike’s the first to move, just the simple touch of his left hand up and down Harvey’s back, loving and comforting, thankful for everything they have. It’s not much but it’s enough to get Harvey to move, just enough to kiss Mike on the lips, not yet willing to distance himself from the younger man.

Mike grins at him, chuckling against Harvey’s lips, eyes sparkling with mischief and love, and Harvey vows to never let this go. 

“If I knew it’d get that reaction I would have gotten it years ago.” Mike can’t contain his giggles anymore and laughs openly at him and Harvey can’t even be mad, he just smiles along with him.

He finally decides to move, sliding down Mike’s body until his gaze is level with Mike’s right forearm where the fresh ink shines from his aggravated skin. He moves his fingers to ghost over the mark, still amazed by the size and sheer beauty of it. He understands in that moment why Mike never tells him about them in advance, because if Mike had explained to him ‘I’m getting a Batman tattoo half the size of my forearm’, Harvey’s sure he would have tried to talk him out of it. 

At work the bottom of it might sneak out from the cuff of Mike’s dress shirts, and while Jessica might have something to say about it if she notices, Harvey can’t even bring himself to care. Truthfully, he loves it, and even though Mike hasn’t said it, they both know it’s homage to their jokes about Harvey being Bruce Wayne. And as if that isn’t hot as hell.

**********

Flames.

Fucking flames.

Harvey’s just come home from almost 40 hours at the office (Mike had left sometime around 8pm the previous evening to go home and look after Will and hadn’t been back to the office since) and all he wants to do is climb into bed and sleep, undisturbed, for at least eight hours. He should have known it wouldn’t be that simple.

There’s still a light on in the kitchen but Mike’s nowhere to be seen, so Harvey assumes he must have already made his way to bed and moves to do the same. He stops on his way down the hall, attention captured by the sound of soft giggles coming from William’s bedroom. The sound makes his heart leap in his chest and for a moment he forgets about the horrible two days he’s had to be away from the two people he loves the most.

He follows the sounds and stops in the doorway to Will’s room. Mike’s perched on the edge of the bed, both of them laughing quietly, illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

“Papa!” Will tries to be enthusiastic, but his lacklustre greeting is evidence of how tired the little boy must be, that he’s been waiting up for Harvey to get home to say goodnight.

“Hey buddy,” Harvey moves further into the room, sitting on the other side of his son’s bed, brushing the hair back from his forehead and leaning in to press a soft kiss to the warm skin, “Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”

“I wanted to say goodnight and I love you.”

Harvey heart soars, he’ll never tire of hearing that, “I love you too, buddy.” He glances towards Mike and notices they’re being watched, a content smile gracing the younger man’s features as he watches them interact.

“What were you two laughing about?” Harvey has to ask; otherwise he’s sure his tired state will turn him into a quivering wreck of emotions if he allows himself to dwell too long on how much he loves these two boys.

“Daddy took me to the tattoo shop today.” Will sparks up, despite his exhaustion, and Harvey turns to Mike, lifting an eyebrow, Mike understanding immediately.

“Did he now?”

“Yep! And we picked out his new tattoos together.”

“Tattoos?” He emphasises the ‘s’ on purpose and by the look on Mike’s face he immediately knows Harvey isn’t happy.

“Yeah, Daddy got two today!”

“Did he?” Harvey has to try with all his might not to snap at his son. He knows it’s not his fault, and he knows that if he weren’t so tired and overworked he probably wouldn’t even care that Mike had gotten more ink, but he’s so goddamn exhausted, he just can’t think about this all right now. He levels his face back into a soft smile and turns back towards his son, “Well how about we talk about it all tomorrow, because we all need to get some sleep now, okay?”

“Okay Papa.”

“I love you, buddy, sleep well.” Harvey kisses his son on the forehead once again, and then he’s up and out of the room. 

Anger blazes through his body once again as he enters the bedroom and Harvey tries his best to ignore it. Instead of focusing on his emotions, he hops into the shower, using the time Mike spends getting Will settled and asleep to try and calm down, to allow the steaming hot water to work its magic on his body and his mind. He presses his forehead against the shower wall, trying to even out his breathing, but the exhaustion is overwhelming and the anger isn’t letting go and suddenly he snaps.

He turns off the shower and steps out; wrapping only a towel around his waist, he returns to the bedroom. He knows, objectively, that he has no real reason to be mad, but he just needs to talk to Mike. Hopefully it’ll calm him down some. 

Mike’s sitting on the edge of the bed, back to Harvey as he smooths antiseptic cream over his new markings. From the way he’s moving Harvey can see where they are, even if he cannot tell the subject. Mike’s hands are moving up and down the lengths of both arms, long strokes from the elbow to the wrist. _‘Along the ulna’_ Mike’s voice rings out through Harvey’s mind and Harvey mentally curses himself and the genius sitting in front of him. 

“Do I want to know what they are?”

Harvey takes a quiet pleasure from the way his voice makes Mike jump slightly, but the younger man doesn’t turn to face him, instead reaching again for the tube of ointment.

“I don’t know, do you? Sometimes you ignore them, sometimes you don’t.”

“What are they?” The anger bleeds into his voice this time and Harvey doesn’t even try to stop it.

Mike’s head snaps around to face him for just a moment, before his focus is back on his arms, “Why are you so angry about this? You haven’t even seen them yet.”

Harvey takes a deep breath because Mike has a point. He’s not allowed to be angry about this. If he were being honest with himself, he’s angry that Mike took Will along with him, but he knows that’s not fair either. He knows Mike, he trusts Mike, most especially with their son, and so he shouldn’t be worried about Mike taking him to a tattoo parlour.

“Please just tell me what they are?” 

He knows using the word ‘please’ will get to Mike every time.

It’s Mike’s turn to huff a deep sigh before speaking, his voice quiet but harsh, “Flames.”

It’s quiet for too long. Mike refusing to turn and look at Harvey, Harvey biting his lips so hard he’s half convinced they’re about to bleed. He’s not going to yell. Not here, not at Mike. Yelling is for the office. Yelling is for work. They can be civilised partners here.

When Harvey’s finally calmed himself enough to be able to breathe properly and he trusts himself not to lash out, he speaks again, “What did you say?”

“They’re flames.” Mike’s head finally whips around to look at Harvey again and his stare is piercing, his voice harsh, “And before you say anything or start yelling at me, how about you remember that your son picked them out and you come over here and just have a look.”

Harvey wants to say no. He really desperately, horribly wants to say no, but he’s never told Mike no to anything before and he can’t imagine starting now.

He moves to the other side of the room, standing in front of Mike, suddenly aware he’s still dripping wet and can’t sit on the bed.

Mike stares up at him and it becomes obvious Mike hadn’t noticed before either. His gaze sweeps up and down Harvey’s torso, lingering in places Harvey knows Mike enjoys, before his eyes finally make their way up to connect with Harvey’s. Neither man moves for a moment, the stillness of the room almost overpowering until Mike raises his arms, showing Harvey his new addition.

Harvey has to admit they’re much nicer than he’d been expecting.

In his mind he imagined large, overbearing, brightly coloured flames, taking over Mike’s solid muscle and turning his skin into a spectacle. In reality they’re actually rather plain. Black, solid shapes, only identified as flames by the shape they take, spreading their way along the bone of Mike’s arm, but no larger than the height of his forearm. They don’t encapsulate his whole arm like Harvey had feared, but in reality they’re rather beautiful, and he can’t quite bring himself to hate them.

“Are they okay with you?” Mike’s petulant tone snaps Harvey out of his reverie and he can’t help the rush of guilt that pools in his gut. He looks into Mike’s eyes; the bright blue a contrast to the dark ink marring his skin.

“I’m sorry.”

Mike scoffs, turning away from Harvey to scoot back onto the bed, pulling the covers over his legs and flattening onto his back.

Harvey knows he was being an asshole, and he knows that he had no right to be. It only takes a moment of indecision and then he’s shucking off his towel and climbing atop Mike’s body, straddling his hips above the covers. He manages to snake a hand under the covers, feeling the soft slide of Mike’s warm skin under his palm, tracing over the edges of the younger man’s hipbones. 

“Harvey.”

It’s almost a growl and Harvey can’t help but smile. Leaning down further over Mike, Harvey kisses him gently, once, twice. As his hand slips further down Mike’s body, following the v of his hips and finding his desired location, Harvey leans back just enough to whisper against Mike’s lips before kissing him again, “I said I was sorry.”

**********

“I need to take a day.”

Harvey looks up from where he’s been doing paperwork at his desk to see Mike sitting down into one of the chairs before him.

“What for?” His voice comes out harsh but Mike knows it’s only out of concern so he lets it go.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Mike.” That time it’s not concern that hardens his voice and they both know it. They’re at work; this isn’t the time to be playing games.

“I just need a day, Harvey. I really don’t have to ask, you know, I just thought you’d rather I did.”

“Whatever it is, use a Sunday, I’ll take Will.”

“But what if you have to work? I have to know in advance, Harvey.”

Harvey’s eyes narrow and understanding suddenly clicks in his brain.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Harvey, look, I know you don’t get it, but it’s going to take hours, and I can’t have Will there that long and you know I can’t just bail last minute if something comes up. If I take a day when we know he’ll be at day-care, then it works out for everyone. He’ll even get an early mark, he’ll be stoked about that.” Mike grins broadly at him across the table, hoping like hell he can convince Harvey to listen to him.

“You really want to take some of my time to go and get inked?”

“Harvey, I have leave for a reason. Please don’t make me go to Jessica about this. If I were anyone else you’d grant it in a heartbeat.”

That makes Harvey pause because he knows Mike’s got him. It’s true and they both know it, Harvey wouldn’t hesitate a second if anyone else said they needed the time. He wouldn’t even care enough to ask what it was for, he’d just sign away the paperwork and be happy to have another idiot out of his office for another day. 

Mike’s still staring at him with puppy dog eyes and Harvey can feel his resolve crumbling by the second, “Fine. When?”

“Next Thursday.” Mike stands from his seat and moves around Harvey’s desk.

“Next Thursday? Mike, you need to give more notice than that.”

Mike’s thumb smooths out the crease of Harvey’s confused brow and he kisses him once quickly before retreating, “I know, that’s why I asked Jessica a week ago. Just needed to make sure you were up to speed.”

The little shit winks at him, actually winks, and then he’s out the door and gone from sight.

*

It shouldn’t impact Harvey so much when Mike’s out of the office, but he knows it does. He always has a horrible day when Mike’s not there, and knowing that Mike’s willingly gone, has taken himself away from Harvey’s presence, just makes it all that little bit worse.

He’d gotten a text from Mike around 10am, a quick ‘I love you’ accompanied by about fifty smiley faces, and hasn’t heard anything since. He hadn’t asked Mike what he was getting done, and Mike hadn’t offered any information, so he figures all he can do now is wait.

It’s a weird feeling, contemplating the possibilities for Mike’s newest tattoo and it occurs to him that he’s never known about them in advance before. Mike’s always just returned home one day with a new one. This time, though, he said he needed a day. The whole day. Harvey dreads to think about the size of the damned thing. 

He can’t wait for the day to be over.

*

“William! Stop it!”

It’s the first thing Harvey hears when he walks through the door to the condo later that evening and his head pounds with the beginnings of a headache. God he hopes it doesn’t fester. William in a mood is not a delight; it’s a rare occurrence and one Harvey and Mike both try to avoid like the plague. Kids will be kids though and sometimes nothing can be done. Harvey’s hoping like hell his appearance might diffuse the situation somewhat but he doesn’t like his chances.

He enters the open living space to find Mike and Will both sitting together on the sofa. They’re facing one another, Mike’s face livid as he holds both of Will’s hands within one of his own, William thrashing his weight around trying to escape Mike’s grasp.

Harvey sets his briefcase down and shrugs out of his suit jacket before making himself known, “Hey. What’s going on?”

Will stills immediately and turns to face Harvey. He only has a second or two to study his son’s face and it’s obvious he’s been crying. His face is red and splotchy, a mess of snot and tears making him seem younger and more distraught than he probably is, and then he’s wriggling in Mike’s grasp again, movements more ferocious in his attempt to get to Harvey.

“Papa!” It’s nothing less than a whine and it makes Harvey’s head throb and he knew better than to get his hopes up that Will would suddenly calm down.

The cries start again as Harvey moves towards the sofa, crouching in front of the two boys. He notices the look on Mike’s face, the look that says _‘Where the hell have you been, I’ve been at this for hours’_ and Harvey suddenly just wants to take Mike by the hand and crawl into bed together, escaping the world for just a few hours. Unfortunately they have a raucous four-year-old to deal with. 

“William!” It’s almost the tone Harvey uses at the office, the one that demands attention and strikes fear into all associates. Except here, somehow, the application of fear is missing but Will still knows that Harvey means business. He stops wriggling immediately, body all but slumping into Mike’s as Will gives up his fight.

Harvey moves his hand to Will’s hair, brushing back the sandy-blonde locks as he waits for Will to calm himself down. 

When the tears have finally ceased and his breathing seems to be back under control, Harvey finally speaks again, voice calm and low, the complete opposite to the tone he’d used moments ago, “Okay buddy, want to tell me what happened?”

“Daddy was yelling at me.” It’s muffled against Mike’s shirt but Harvey’s well versed in understanding child babble by now so he gets it anyway.

“And why was Daddy yelling at you?”

Harvey’s always been better at this than Mike has been; the calming neutrality of discussing the problem while still reaching the outcome he desires reflects his approach at work when it comes to the law but he’d honestly never imagined it would be helpful here. When Will gets in a mood Mike’s much more irrational. His emotions get the better of him and he becomes desperate in his attempts at consoling their son.

“I don’t know.”

Mike’s posture noticeably stiffens at the response and he opens his mouth ready to protest. Harvey cuts him off with a look, however, telling Mike without words that he needs to let Harvey handle this. If Mike had already spent hours trying to settle the kid then that meant he definitely wasn’t in the mood to be consoled by Mike.

“William.”

The little boy turns his head to face Harvey, soft blue eyes peering out from under a fringe of hair. He seems to battle himself for a moment, torn between holding onto the lie and telling Harvey the truth. The truth wins out, it always does with William, and Harvey dreads the day that stops being true.

“I kept poking his new tattoos.”

Ah, the mysterious and undoubtedly huge tattoo that had been the cause of Harvey’s terrible day at the office.

“William.” The boy’s eyes are downcast immediately; no longer able to look at Harvey, scared to see the disappointment reflected back. It pulls at Harvey’s heart to know how much their boy cares for them both already at such a young age. 

Harvey notices the hand running through Will’s hair, Mike’s attempt at comfort despite still being furious with their son and more than likely being in a world of pain from having raw skin poked and prodded all day. Harvey can’t help but smile at the sight of his whole world before him.

“Will, you know we don’t touch Daddy’s new tattoos. They hurt, remember?”

A silent nod against Mike’s chest is the only response he receives.

“You know how much it hurts to touch when you’ve fallen over, right?” Another nod. “Well it’s the same for Daddy, except probably about a hundred times worse.”

Wide eyes are suddenly staring up at Mike.

A broken sob is the first sound to escape, tears making their way down Will’s rosy cheeks adding to the mess already there. He climbs quickly into Mike’s lap, throwing his arms around his father’s neck as he sobs against Mike’s skin.

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“It’s okay little man, it’s okay. Daddy’s not hurt anymore, it just hurts when you do it.” Mike hushes Will, speaking softly into his ear as hands roam up and down his back, calming and reassuring. 

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

Harvey wants to laugh at the way Will hiccups his apologies, overcome by the cuteness of the whole situation, but he recognises the inappropriateness of it all. Instead he stands and makes his way towards the kitchen, returning with a bottle of apple juice for Will. He runs his spare hand through Will’s hair, once, twice, before kissing him atop the head.

“Hey, buddy, how about you have a drink?”

Will finally pulls back, wiping away the snot and the tears with the back of his hand before reaching for the bottle Harvey holds out for him, “Thank you, Papa.”

Harvey leaves him to it for a minute before finally speaking again, “Okay, buddy, how about we go and have a bath?”

Will looks just about ready to protest before he glances quickly at Mike and reluctantly agrees. Harvey picks him up from his spot on Mike’s lap, the boy wrapping himself around Harvey’s much larger frame as the two move down the hall and into the bathroom.

*

In an effort to give Mike some time to himself to calm down and get comfortable Harvey keeps Will in the bath for as long as possible before the water starts to turn cold. When they do eventually leave the room Harvey carries Will down the hall towards the master bedroom in order to say goodnight to his dad. 

Once they get there Harvey stops short at the sight before him. 

Mike’s laying atop the bed covers, dressed only in a t-shirt and pyjama bottoms, his legs and brand new tattoos on display for Harvey to see. He suddenly understands why Mike said he needed to take the day. His right leg is covered in complicated swirls of ink that come together beautifully to create a masterpiece. It’s probably the most simplistic of all of Mike’s tattoos, yet somehow it still manages to be the most intricate. 

Harvey can’t do anything but stare for the longest time. A soft palm against his cheek and a giggled “Papa?” breaks his focus and he turns his attention to William only to find his son laughing back at him.

“What do you think?” 

Harvey’s attention flicks back to Mike and the smug grin the younger man is wearing and Harvey falls helplessly into his gaze.

Harvey clears his throat and turns his attention back to his son, “Alright buddy, time to say goodnight to daddy.” He lowers Will onto the ground and inconspicuously adjusts himself, revelling in Mike’s delighted laughter when the younger man notices Harvey’s sudden discomfort.

**********

Mike’s aware of how lucky he is, of how drastically his life has changed since he met Harvey. Before Harvey Mike had little hope of survival, let alone success, and now here he is more than six years later in a job he loves and a family he adores even more. 

He’s thankful for his family, for Harvey and William and the friends he’s made at Pearson Specter, but the fear never goes away. The fear of being found out, the fear of being arrested and refused access to his son, it scares him like nothing else ever has before. It’s something he thinks about every day, that the more he gains, the more he has to lose. He wants to do something about it, of course, but Harvey’s warned him on more than one occasion of the dangers, of how sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something, that lying low is their best bet against not being revealed.

It’s this limbo he finds himself stuck in that inspires his next tattoo.

_Auribus Teneo Lupum_ translates into ‘hold a wolf by the ears’ and the minute it’s marked into his skin Mike falls completely in love with it. He knows a lot of people won’t understand but it isn’t about them, Mike got this one for himself. Mike knows the origins of the phrase – a once popular proverb in Ancient Rome – and the meaning it held during the time. Similar to the notion of ‘holding a tiger by the tail’, the phrase describes an unsustainable situation, particularly one in which both doing nothing and doing something to resolve it are equally risky.

Mike relates to it on the most personal level possible, he knows his own situation and he knows he’s stuck between doing nothing and doing something dangerous.

The ink is etched into his right bicep, a close and constant reminder to not act irrationally, to consider what he has to lose if he were to get caught, to act normally and to never raise suspicion.

He never explains the tattoo to Harvey, the older man just studies it intently, smiles softly, and kisses Mike on the lips. A few days later Mike finds an open tab on Harvey’s laptop where he’d searched the phrase and studied it’s meaning. Mike smiles fondly to himself and closes the laptop, glad it was something they didn’t need to discuss and thankful for such an understanding and breathtakingly perfect partner.

**********

It’s only simple line-work but Harvey’s so relieved and so acutely in love he thinks he might pass out. The horrid jigsaw pieces are no longer living alone atop Mike’s arm, instead they’re now surrounded by intricate swirls and sharp lines and Harvey can’t stop himself from kissing the life out of Mike the minute he sees it.

The patterns match the piece on Mike’s leg and before this moment Harvey never truly quite understood how magical and elaborate this art form could be. The pieces working together over separate limbs to create a masterpiece over Mike’s whole body is utterly beautiful and definitely something to be admired.

It hits Harvey then that Mike is quite literally, ever so slowly, _covering_ himself with ink.

Mike had asked Harvey for an afternoon off in order to get more ink done. The older man had been hesitant at first, unimpressed this was happening once again, but once Mike has assured him it was to add some more work to his forearm, who was Harvey to say no?

When Mike finally wandered through the door later that night Harvey couldn’t stop his gaze from immediately being drawn to Mike’s arm, hoping beyond anything else that he liked this new piece as much as he’d liked all the others. He supposes anything would be better than that damned jigsaw.

And he loves it. He kisses Mike until the pair are forced to part for breath, tells him he loves him so, and then kisses him again. Harvey immediately starts pulling Mike back towards the bedroom, kissing him the whole way, unable to keep his hands off the younger man’s skin.

**********

They’ve never copped hate before about being gay, or for being a gay couple with a child, and Harvey supposes that’s one of the perks of living in New York. They’re accepted here, for the most part, and they’ve never once been bothered. Harvey thinks the way they dress might also have something to do with it, that it keeps them more protected to some extent, but he keeps those thoughts private, he doesn’t want to concern Mike.

But now they’re walking through Central Park, the three of them together, Mike and Harvey holding hands as Will skips along in front of them, chasing birds and jumping in puddles. The rain had engulfed the city for over a week, keeping them cramped inside and struggling to find warmth in the random, unseasonal cold snap. Will had gotten restless real quick. He’s not a child who likes to stay indoors, he’d rather be outside, in the streets, in the park, playing sports or just enjoying the outside air. Being stuck inside had almost sent all three of them insane.

As a result, they’ve decided to make the most of the weather. The wind and the rain have disappeared and the sun has returned with full force, shining brightly over the city, warming their skin, acting as it should for this time of year.

Harvey’s in a loose tee but still wearing jeans, he flat out refuses to wear shorts outside of the boxing ring, but Mike doesn’t have the same hang-ups. He’s in shorts and a t-shirt, his converse and aviators making him appear much more fashionable than Harvey knows him to be, but he’s enjoying the sight. It’s been too long since they’ve had time like this, time to dress down but actually go out somewhere as a family, to enjoy time together without pressing deadlines or a routine to adhere to. And if Harvey’s being honest, he quite likes the way Mike’s skin looks under the sun, the way the ink seems to glow in the light. Harvey’s sure he’s just projecting but that’s beside the point. 

They’re holding hands as they walk, talking quietly together while they both keep a close eye on Will but pretend not to be. They’ve stopped a few times on their walk to talk to people, mostly whenever Will finds a dog he’d like to pat, and every single time they’ve been complimented on his manners, been told how proud they should be of raising such an amazing son. And they are. Oh god, they are.

As a result they’re not quite as shocked as they could have been when a squeaky voice calls out from behind them and a hand lands on Harvey’s upper arm, stopping them in their tracks. 

Harvey turns around immediately, coming face to face with two people he’s sure he’s never met before, but Mike calls out to Will and waits for him to make his way back to them, hitching him up onto his hip before turning to the people behind them. They seem like an ordinary couple, probably not much older than Harvey, and Mike wracks his brain but he’s sure he’s never seen them before.

“Hello.” Harvey’s polite enough and a smile graces his features but Mike can read the undercurrent of tension suddenly flowing through his partner, “Can we help you?”

“My name’s Evelyn, and this is my husband Henry.” The woman speaks up, looking directly at Harvey, ignoring Mike completely.

She can’t be any taller than 5’3, with a round face and a bob of brown hair. Mike struggles not to laugh when he realises she vaguely resembles a mouse, squeaky voice and all. Henry, on the other hand, is all grey hair and sharp features, and Mike can’t help but think back to his truly terrible high school science teacher. 

Will pulls lightly on his hair, getting Mike’s attention, telling him without words that he’s found himself in an uncomfortable situation. Mike soothes him quietly, his hand running up and down Will’s back, all the while listening as the woman continues to speak.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but we were sitting on the bench over there and we just couldn’t help but notice you and not say anything.”

The woman finally looks to Mike and the glance makes something unwelcome settle into Harvey’s stomach. Mike doesn’t seem to notice, too intent on keeping Will distracted – something Harvey became aware of the second it happened – but Harvey does, and he can’t help but think they’re about to be handed some petty hatred that they don’t deserve. Almost eight years he and Mike have been together and it’s going to come down to some snobby couple in the park.

Harvey has to bite his cheek to keep from snapping but Mike speaks up before he has the chance, “What can we help you with?” He’s all smiles and pleasantries and Harvey can’t even depict a hint of anger or suspicion floating beneath the surface, but he’s sure it is; Mike holds suspicion through every encounter with strangers.

“We just don’t think it’s exactly healthy.”

Mike’s tempted to turn and walk away, to take Will out of the situation, to protect him from the horrible people in the world, but he can’t manage to make his legs work and he won’t leave Harvey alone, not like this.

“What exactly do you mean? What’s not healthy?” Mike’s actually impressed at how Harvey manages to keep his voice level in an attempt at some form of understanding.

The woman casts another quick glance at Mike before looking back to Harvey, voice lowered to a stage whisper as she speaks directly to him, “Do you really think he should be holding him like that?”

“Like what?” Harvey’s voice takes on a harsh sting and Mike’s seen lawyers more powerful than this woman cower under his gaze, and yet she seems completely unaffected.

“With… With all those things all over him.”

Mike can’t help the slight chuckle that escapes, even though it’s toxic in its delivery, “Excuse me?”

“I don’t mean any disrespect, dear, but I don’t exactly think you’re suitable to be carrying a child. What sort of criminal are you?”

It takes everything Harvey has not to punch her. He honestly only resists because William’s there and they’ve taught him to never resort to violence.

“You don’t mean any disrespect?” Harvey’s voice is dripping with venom and Mike notices they’ve attracted a bit of a crowd, “Exactly what part of telling my partner that he’s unfit to care for our son do you not consider disrespectful? They’re tattoos, they’re not viruses, and you know nothing about either of us, so don’t you dare go around making accusations against people.”

“There were no accusations, dearie, I just merely think that-”

“I don’t give a shit what you think! You have no right to approach us and call him a criminal because he likes to paint his skin rather than a canvas. And bringing our son into this? That’s just fucking inappropriate. You have no right to comment on our parenting, so I’d appreciate it if you left us alone.”

It’s quiet for a few moments, bystanders watching on, curious as to whether the whole ordeal will escalate or fizzle out, Mike and Harvey waiting for the other couple to make their next move. Mike’s aware of Will’s cheeks pressed against his own and one hand reaching up to cup the other side of Mike’s face as he watches Harvey stare down the woman.

The man, Henry, huffs angrily, pulling himself up to full height before he decides to speak, “That language was unnecessary, mister, we’re just trying to do our duty as concerned citizens, but as you’re not interested in hearing it, we’ll leave you on your way.”

Suddenly they’re gone and Mike can’t quite believe the whole ordeal actually transpired. If Harvey weren’t beside him fuming with anger, he’d probably be convinced he imagined the whole thing. 

Will whispers into his ear, breaking the silence, snapping him out of his thoughts, “Papa said some naughty words.”

Mike huffs a laugh and turns to press a kiss to Will’s forehead, “Yeah, I know he did buddy, but sometimes grownups have to when they’re mad. You’ll be allowed to one day, just not yet.” Will looks at him, slightly confused, ready to question him, so Mike continues, “When you’re Papa’s age, okay? Maybe then.”

“But that’s _old_.”

The sound of Harvey’s laughter draws Mike attention back to the other man, pleased to find him smiling at his son. He takes Will from Mike’s arms and holds him tight to his chest, Will wrapping himself around Harvey’s larger frame, “Thanks little man.”

“Are you okay Papa?”

“I’m fine buddy. Those people just wanted to be mean to your Daddy, that’s all, and I wouldn’t let them.”

Will pulls back to look into Harvey’s face, a look of absolute shock gracing his features, “Why do they wanna be mean to Daddy?”

“They just thought his art was ugly, that’s all. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“They’re stupid.” Will sticks his bottom lip out and looks in the direction in which the couple had retreated, “I love Daddy’s art. They don’t know anything.”

Harvey kisses him on the side of the head then smiles at Mike over Will’s shoulder, “Me too, buddy.” He lowers Will back onto the ground and takes Mike’s hand back in his, “Come on, champ, let’s keep walking.”

Will runs off ahead of them once again and Mike can’t help but love how resilient kids can be. He thinks back to what the woman had said and is pleased to find it doesn’t worry him in the slightest. He knows immediately that he won’t let the comments affect him, that some people are just unapologetically ignorant and Mike’s not going to lose sleep over it.

One particular comment does spring to mind though and Mike can’t help but chuckle softly, “That was quite poetic, Harvey.”

“What?” Harvey snaps out of his reverie, too focused on where Will was running in circles around a tree.

“‘Paint his skin rather than a canvas.’ Beautiful, really.” Mike laughs openly at him, he can’t restrain it any longer.

Harvey finally stops and looks at him and he can’t help but crack a smile, “Little shit, I was defending you.”

“I know.” Mike kisses him gently, hands coming up to cup his face, and kisses him again, “And I love you for it.”

*

The four-leaf clover comes not a week later.

It’s only tiny, finding its home on the inside of Mike’s right elbow, but Harvey knows Mike’s skin well enough that he notices it immediately.

He presses feather light kisses into the bruised skin and Mike actually blushes. They both know in that exact moment that they’re always going to be okay.

**********

Harvey sucks at birthdays, he really does. 

He likes to act like he doesn't, that he knows exactly what to give the people he loves, that every single year he has the perfect gift lined up and ready to go. But he doesn't. There's a reason why Donna buys her own gifts every year.

So when this thing started with Mike, he was terrified. Terrified of what it would mean when Mike's birthday came around and he had absolutely no idea what to get him. 

The first few years, Donna had helped, but after a while even she tapped out, stating that Harvey needed to be able to do it on his own, he needed to know Mike well enough for this not to be an issue. But Donna doesn't get it. He does know Mike well enough, more than, and that's precisely the problem. Nothing he ever thinks of seems good enough for Mike. Nothing he chooses says, 'I care about you, I accept you, I love you,' quite the way he wants it to.

It makes matters worse, too, that Mike is amazing at birthdays. Every single year he buys Harvey the perfect gift, Will and Donna too. As well as Rachel and Louis, now that he thinks about it. The point is, Mike always upstages Harvey when it comes to gift giving and it makes Harvey feel that he's somehow not enough for Mike, that he's failing somehow.

This year is different. This year he's proud of himself and he knows exactly what he's going to give Mike, and he knows that he'll love it.

The morning starts bright and way too early thanks to an overexcited five year old who cannot wait to give his daddy a birthday kiss. Harvey was secretly hoping they’d have a little alone time before Will woke up, but he’d known his chances were slim. Will’s always been excited by birthdays, no matter whose it is, and neither Mike or Harvey have the heart, the will, or the desire to crush their little boy’s enthusiasm.

They eat breakfast together around the kitchen table, William giving Mike a handmade card he’d painted himself at daycare, obviously incredibly proud of himself when Mike sticks it to the fridge. Today’s a daycare and work day, and despite William’s protests at not being able to spend the day with his daddy on his birthday, the morning goes smoothly. All it takes is a kiss and a pleading whisper from Mike to ‘please do what Papa says’ and the little boy complies, getting himself ready for his day ahead.

It isn’t until after they’ve dropped William off at daycare that Harvey finally reveals his plans. 

The car slows down way too soon, there’s definitely no way they can be at the office yet, and Ray passes Harvey a packed bag, a wide grin on his face. Mike’s brow furrows in confusion but Harvey can’t keep his features from matching Ray’s smile. 

He leans in to kiss Mike lightly before handing him the bag, “Here, it has a change of clothes inside, I thought you’d probably want to be a bit more comfortable.”

That only leads to confusing Mike further, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Look where we are.”

Mike finally turns to look outside the window and spins back quickly to face Harvey when he realises what’s happening. They’re parked outside Mike’s regular tattoo parlor and Harvey’s telling him he’s probably going to want a comfortable change of clothes. Mike doesn’t have to be a genius to figure it out. 

“Are you serious?”

“I managed to get you the whole day. Call me when you’re done and I’ll come pick you up.” Harvey pulls him in for another kiss.

“But I don’t even know what to get.” Mike mumbles against Harvey’s mouth.

“Don’t worry, that’s all sorted too.”

All Mike can do is stare incredulously until Harvey laughs softly at him and kisses him again.

“Come on, get going. Some of us still have to go to the office.”

“I love you.”

“I know. Now go.”

*

Harvey has to admit he’s nervous. Nervous that he’ll hate it, even more nervous that Mike will. He’d deliberated over it for hours, the perfect tattoo for Mike, something the younger man would love and something that holds meaning for both of them. 

It’s his way of showing the younger man he approves, that he accepts Mike the way he is and the way he wants to be.

It feels like forever when Harvey’s phone finally rings, Mike and Will’s smiling faces shining up at him from the screen. He feels his heart beat a little faster inside his chest and can’t help the smile that takes over his face, “Finally finished?”

“Impatient, are we?”

Harvey blatantly ignores him, “I’ll be there in 15” and hears Mike’s responding laugh over the phone before he hangs up. 

The thing is Harvey is impatient, he can’t wait to see the finished piece and the 15 minutes it takes to get to the studio feels almost as long as his entire day has been. 

The second Mike slides in beside him and slams the door closed, Harvey pounces, “Show me.”

“Wow, you are impatient.” Mike chuckles but shifts his body and carefully pulls up the cloth of his shorts so his left thigh is visible. 

It’s perfect, exactly how Harvey had pictured it; the Enterprise and the Star Fleet symbol sitting side by side, connected by beautiful line work. It’s nerdy and ridiculous and so completely _them_ that Harvey couldn’t suppress his massive smile even if he wanted to. He stares at the ink a few more moments, enraptured by it’s beauty and perfection and the fact that Mike now has something permanently inked into his skin because Harvey chose it for him, before he takes Mike’s face between his hands and kisses him. 

“Do you like it?” Harvey mumbles against Mike’s mouth, too scared to pull too far away, too scared that Mike will say no. 

“I love it. I love you.” Mike kisses him again, “I got something else as well.”

Mike pulls back from Harvey and shifts once again, the material of his shorts now being pulled down his legs so all his skin is put on show. It’s then, with the fabric completely out of the way, no longer obscuring the new ink, that Harvey sees it. High on Mike’s thigh, sitting just underneath his hipbone, separate from but still somewhat close to his Star Trek piece, sits a simplistic black and white pineapple.

It’s adorable and completely ridiculous and Harvey can’t help but laugh. Mike matches his grin, love shining in his eyes when he locks his gaze with Harvey, “It’s for the first time I ever told you I love you.”

Harvey pulls him in sharply for another kiss, immediately grateful that they have a child-free afternoon and the opportunity to indulge in one another for a few hours.

**********

Will’s first day of school is hard for them all. Mike and Harvey both manage to get the morning off work to take him in together, and while school really isn’t too big a change seeing as Mike and Harvey work so often anyway, it still hurts Mike’s heart to say goodbye to his little boy.

To think Will’s old enough now to be starting school… it makes Mike’s head spin around. He’s reluctant to admit there are tears, from him more than anyone else, but William’s growing up and starting school is a massive milestone in a child’s, and a parent’s, life.

Mike knows they’re attracting stares; standing before the steps of the school, hugging each other and whispering words of love and support, they look quite the spectacle. Harvey was only able to wrangle the morning off work and as such is dressed in full business attire, his Tom Ford suit looking impeccable and outrageous in contrast to Mike’s casual dress of shorts, a v-neck and converse, his tattoos on show for all to see. They attract more curious glances than Mike cares to count, both at his inked skin and at the interesting picture they present. With Mike dressed down like this he is such a shining contrast to Harvey and not many people pick them as a couple.

Mike returns his attention back towards his family and crouches down to be eye-level with his two favourite people, “You have a good day, okay buddy? Have a lot of fun and listen when the teacher’s talking.”

Will nods along enthusiastically to Mike’s words but a curious expression clouds his features, “Daddy, why are you crying?”

There’s suddenly an edge to Will’s voice, a slight crack that signifies he’s about to start crying too and they don’t need more tears than have already been shed.

Harvey takes this as his cue to intervene. He reaches around his son, pulling him closer into his side and basking in the feeling of being close to one another. He hates how weak he feels right now, how he’s unable to control the situation, how much it’s hurting Mike to let go. He can’t quite believe Will is old enough to be starting school, it absolutely blows his mind.

He presses a kiss to the side of Will’s head before leaning in even closer to whisper in his ear, “Your daddy’s so happy about you starting school, he knows how excited you’ve been about it, he’s just a little sad he won’t be able to see you all the time like you used to.”

Harvey had already talked to William multiple times about starting school, about how he wouldn’t see them as often during the day anymore but one of them would always drop him off and pick him up, no matter what. Will had cried a little bit then, of course, it was natural for kids to be attached to their parents, but Harvey feels as if the conversation then had definitely prepared the kid for starting school now.

Will looks back at him with wide eyes, glancing quickly between him and Mike before he launches himself into Mike’s arms and kisses him, “It’s okay, I love you Daddy.”

Mike chokes on a soft sob but he can’t help but smile. He absolutely adores their little boy.

“Alright, little man, time for school.” Harvey says, leaning in to kiss Will on the cheek, “You have fun, okay?”

Will kisses him sloppily in return, a huge grin on his face when he hugs his father, “I will, Papa.”

“Daddy will be here to pick you up when school’s finished, okay?”

“Yep!” The kid’s excitement is almost contagious.

*

Harvey has time afterwards to head home with Mike before he has to head into the office. They're quiet as they head home and make their way into the condo. 

Mike slips off his shoes and Harvey his suit jacket but otherwise they remain dressed as they collapse onto the leather sofa. They hold each other tightly, exchanging the occasional soft kiss, Harvey squeezing extra tightly whenever a quiet cry escapes Mike's lips. They remain silent the whole time, each understanding the others array of emotions, the confusion between happiness and melancholy taking hold over both of them. They're ecstatic, Will's starting school, their little boy is growing up. At the same time it feels too soon, too much like they're losing him, their little boy is growing up.

It's much too soon for Mike's liking that Harvey loosens his hold, kisses Mike more firmly once, twice, and then is disentangling himself from Mike's grip. He slips back into his suit jacket, kisses Mike again with a whispered "I love you" and then he's gone.

The quiet of the condo is suddenly suffocating and Mike can't help the silent tears that roll down his already puffy cheeks.

He's at a loss at what to do with himself for most of the day. He's not used to this, being at home with nothing to do, with no William to keep him occupied. He hates how quiet the house is and tries to busy himself with the housework that still needs doing. He only lasts a few hours before the need to get out of the house becomes overwhelming.

* 

Mike's standing outside the school checking his watch anxiously; the day had absolutely dragged on with 3 o'clock coming much too slowly for his liking. He knows he's spent the majority of his day watching the clock, impatient to see his son once again.

He feels like he’s been waiting forever when the school bell finally rings out and a parade of tiny people run out towards him. It’s a struggle, with so many heads running in all different directions, but once he sees a familiar mop of sandy-blonde hair, Mike can’t suppress the grin that takes over his face. He can pinpoint the exact moment Will spots him and seconds later there’s a small body colliding with his legs. Will’s arms curl around Mike’s legs, holding him tight as Mike runs his hands through Will’s hair, thankful to have his son back, regardless of the few shorts hours spent apart.

Eventually Mike pulls back and crouches down to speak with his son, “Did you have a good day?”

Will nods excitedly back at him, toothy grin lighting up his face.

“Yeah? What was the best part?”

“Mrs Miller is really nice and we talked about the things that we like! I told everybody that my daddy has a batman on his arm, they all wanna see it some day!”

Mike laughs loudly and pulls Will close to him, “I guess I’ll have to show them one day then.”

Will beams back at his father.

“Well do you want to know what I did today?”

“Yes!” Mike chuckles again at his son’s enthusiasm and points towards his left ankle, spinning it slightly so Will can clearly see Mike’s latest addition.

**_Oh, the places you’ll go!_ **

Will stares at the words for a few moments, obviously trying to read them correctly. Suddenly his face breaks out into a wide grin and he’s flinging his arms around Mike’s neck as he squeals, “Oh the places you’ll go!”

Mike can’t help but laugh and return the kisses Will’s pressing to his face.

“Do you remember who wrote that?”

“Dr Seuss!”

Dr Seuss had become one of their regular night time readings over the years, something both Mike and Will found great joy in. ‘Oh The Places You’ll Go’ had become one of Will’s favourites very quickly and last night had been an extra special reading indeed. The pair snuggled up together on the sofa while Harvey sat quietly nearby immersed in his own work. Mike had read through the book, doing the crazy voices and faces William loved so much, before they snuggled in closer to one another and talked about the story. They’d discussed what Will thought the story was about, why he loved it so much, and why Mike loved it so much. It was a special moment just between the two of them, sharing joy of a book Mike would be able to recite even without his eidetic memory.

It seemed fitting that today he get it inked on his skin, a special piece just for his son while he also reminded himself to keep on moving, to always keep trying and always keep growing. 

**********

“Why do you get them? I just realised I’ve never asked you before.”

Harvey’s hands are skating up and down Mike’s forearms, teasing around the edges of the ink. They’re sitting on the sofa, facing one another, revelling in the quiet of the condo, only dim lamps illuminating the room, their focus solely on the other. 

Donna has taken Will for ice cream and a movie, something she does every now and then to allow Harvey and Mike the chance to just be together, to reconnect. It’s usually they’re date night, they go out for dinner and have a night of ‘dating’ each other again, but Mike had suggested they stay in, get some food delivered and snuggle up on the couch. So that’s exactly what they’ve done.

They’ve long finished dinner and Harvey considered putting on a film, but they’re so captivated in one another, soft touches and heavy kisses the focus of their evening. Harvey realised about a half hour ago that he hasn’t stopped touching Mike’s arms, that his fingers have been tracing the intricate artwork, that he’s subconsciously been drawn to the dark ink that marks Mike’s body.

“They’re addictive.” Mike laughs and it’s almost self-depreciating, “I know how cliché that sounds, but they are. I never expected to get more than one, but now I can’t stop.” He bows his head, breaking eye contact for the first time in a while, and it stabs at Harvey’s heart. 

When Mike looks up again he seems almost nervous, “Do you… Do you like them?” He breaks eye contact again the second the question is out and Harvey curses himself for never speaking up earlier.

“Mike,” He moves his hand to run along Mike’s cheek and down his jaw, pushing slightly for the younger man to look at him again. Their eyes lock and Harvey couldn’t hold back a smile even if he tried, “I love them.”

Mike scoffs a slight laugh, like he can’t quite believe what Harvey’s saying but desperately wants to.

“They’re you. They’re what you want and who you want to be. Who am I to hate that?”

“You hated the jigsaw.”

“No, I hated the placing of the jigsaw, but I loved the idea behind it, and yes I know exactly why you got it.” Mike smiles so wide Harvey’s heart skips a beat, he hasn’t seen the kid this exuberant in quite a while. He’s missed this. “Mike, I don’t not ask because I don’t care, I don’t ask because I already know.”

**********

Harvey might have spoken prematurely, because honestly, he hates the penguin.

Will’s just turned six and for his birthday, Mike promised him he’d get whatever tattoo Will picked out for him. Naturally, it had been an animal. Will’s obsession with animals began just before he started school and Mike had read him a book about Antarctica, and it has gotten progressively more intense ever since.

And now Mike has a fucking penguin tattooed on his arm. 

Harvey’s thankful Mike hadn’t agreed Will would be able to choose where the goddamn thing would be placed because if it had been his chest or his back, Harvey doesn’t think he’d ever be able to fuck Mike ever again.

Thankfully it sits on the side of his left arm, just above the elbow, surrounded by swirls of pattern to hide amongst. If it sat by itself – much like the jigsaw had been to begin with - Harvey thinks he quite possibly would have lost his shit.

Mike, of course, loves it; he shows it off to everyone who seems even remotely interested. Of all the tattoos for Mike to be so incredibly fond of, it has to be the damned penguin.

Mike all but bounds into work the day after he gets it, bouncing excitedly like a kid on Christmas, eager to show Donna his new and most favourite piece. He has his jacket off and his buttons half undone by the time he reaches her desk, slipping one arm out of his dress-shirt with no warning whatsoever. If Harvey wasn’t dating the guy he would have ripped him a new one for acting so unprofessional, but he supposes sleeping with the boss must have its perks after all.

Mike’s shirt slips down his shoulder, a splattering of skin suddenly on display for all to see and Harvey’s brain fights between lust and possession.

Harvey’s shocked out his thoughts by Donna’s sharp laugh and if the pair weren’t the centre of attention before, they most certainly are now. More and more people are staring, hardly even dismayed by Harvey’s hard glares, but he can’t blame them. The majority of them probably aren’t even aware Mike has any tattoos at all, let alone that his body is half covered in them, so he supposes it’s expected that they would stare. It’s not everyday a junior partner whips off his shirt in the middle of the office and exposes an array of ink for all to see. It’s probably even more unexpected as the guy doing said things is the same guy who’s dating Harvey Specter.

Harvey reaches the people under scrutiny from half the office, arriving just as Donna’s laughter settles down and she asks, bewildered, “Are you serious?”

“You don’t like it?” Mike almost pouts and Harvey has to roll his eyes. The damn thing is hideous.

“Mike. It’s a penguin.”

Mike actually does pout this time, shrugging his shirt back on and hurrying to redo his buttons, voice little more than a murmur when he forces his words out, “Will picked it out. I think it’s cute.”

Donna’s struggling to stifle another laugh and Harvey knows he has to get the situation under control, “Alright hotshot, get your clothes back on and get back to work, I don’t pay you to be stripping off.”

It has the desired effect, Mike’s face lighting up when he looks up towards Harvey, “No you just get that for free at home.”

Donna snorts and Harvey just rolls his eyes in response, turning and heading into his office to start work for the day. It takes him longer than it should to be able to focus on anything other than Mike’s soft skin.

*

Just over an hour later and Harvey finds himself distracted once again, thoughts too preoccupied by Mike to allow much concentration for anything else. He thinks maybe seeing the younger man again might help, that a little bathroom break together might allow him to relax finally, so he removes himself from his desk chair and heads down the hall to Mike’s office.

The first thing he sees when he arrives is the back of Rachel’s head and while not unusual, is extremely unwelcome at the present time. Harvey’s got an idea in his head and he’s not in the mood for Rachel Zane to be cockblocking him.

“Do you like it?”

Mike’s voice draws Harvey’s attention to the fact that Mike’s standing before Rachel, his back turned to the both of them, once again with his jacket removed and his shirt hanging undone from one shoulder.

“Oh my god!” Rachel’s squeal almost pierces Harvey’s eardrum, “It’s adorable. Will chose it, right?”

Harvey rolls his eyes; he does not need Rachel encouraging Mike.

“Flashing that thing around again?”

At his voice both Mike and Rachel spin around to stare at him, Mike’s smile broadening to a grin, Rachel trying to hide the fact she’s terrified about being found by Harvey with a shirtless Mike.

“You love it.” Mike’s all smiles as he slips back into his shirt properly, buttoning up the front, eyes never leaving Harvey’s.

The room is silent for a while, Harvey and Mike keeping eye contact until Mike’s shirt is completely buttoned and he’s slipped back into his jacket. Harvey breaks the contact to glare at Rachel, suddenly annoyed by her continued presence, “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Mike snorts and settles himself back behind his desk as Rachel scuttles out of the room. He ignores Harvey’s lingering presence in his office, instead pretending to focus on the computer screen in front of him, desperately trying to keep himself from looking back towards Harvey. The man doesn’t even need to say anything, his silent authority and continued company enough to have Mike adjusting himself behind his desk. 

Eventually he cracks and Mike’s proud of how steady his voice sounds, “Was that really necessary?” 

“Is it really necessary for you to keep taking your shirt off at the office?”

“Jealous?”

Harvey can hear the laughter in Mike’s voice but he’s not amused in the slightest, “What’s mine is mine. Other people don’t need to see it.”

“You hate the penguin.”

“I’m not talking about the goddamn penguin.”

Mike finally brings his attention back to Harvey and leans forward on his elbows, staring in Harvey’s eyes. His gaze burns, setting Harvey’s skin alight and sending his nerves into a flurry of desperate want. The younger man licks his lips and loosens his tie, popping the top button on his shirt and enjoying the way his movements make Harvey gulp.

“Bathroom. Two minutes.”

Harvey’s voice is rough and then he’s gone, leaving Mike to adjust himself through his pants before he stands and follows Harvey out of the room.

**********

The octopus isn’t much better.

Harvey’s convinced Mike was drunk when he got it, there isn’t really any other explanation, because really…. an octopus?

He has to admit that it’s well done, that it’s beautiful in its intricacy, but there’s still an octopus tattooed into the back of Mike’s left calf and Harvey doesn’t really know how to reconcile that in his brain. 

Mike’s laid out on the bed before him, completely naked and snoring softly into the pillows. They’d exhausted themselves the night before, lost to each other’s body and the caress of skin against skin, and in the haze between lust and sleep, had forgotten to slip into some underwear. It’s not usual that Will wanders into them during the night or early enough in the morning for the two men not to be awake, but it’s not unheard of either, and it would be just their luck he would venture in the one time they forget to re-dress, so they always make the effort to do so. 

Right now, Harvey’s glad they hadn’t. Mike’s skin glows under the morning sun, his arms and legs a striking contrast to the expanse of unmarked skin of his back. Harvey loves looking at him like this, carefree and quiet, at peace with the world. He takes advantage of the opportunity to study Mike whenever he’s able and this morning couldn’t be more perfect. 

He can’t resist touching, not with such a perfect specimen of a human being within his reach, all his to take as he pleases. He reaches out gently to trail fingertips over Mike’s soft skin, starting at the words wrapped around Mike’s ankle, and makes his way up the array of displayed skin. Harvey still can’t quite believe how perfect Mike feels, how soft his skin is and how the tattoos don’t disrupt that at all.

By the time he makes his way to Mike’s ass the younger man is squirming on the bed below him, obviously attempting to stay still in case Harvey ceases his ministrations. He runs his fingers softly up the crack of Mike’s ass cheeks, enjoying the moan he pulls from the younger man. Harvey’s lips find their way to Mike’s lower back, just above where his fingers lay, and slowly make their way up his spine, nipping skin occasionally, tongue flicking out to lave at the small bites.

A nip and a kiss behind Mike’s ear is all it takes for the younger man to give up the pretence entirely, a large moan echoing around the room followed by a desperate plea of, “Please, Harvey, fuck me.”

Harvey doesn’t need to be told twice. He reaches for the nightstand and grabs the lube, squirting a small about onto his fingers before sliding them into Mike’s willing body. Harvey can’t suppress his own moans, the feel of Mike still open and waiting for him from the night before driving him wild. His scissors Mike quickly a few times just to be certain, before he pulls away and lines his cock up at Mike’s hole.

Mike has to bite the pillows to muffle his moans as Harvey slides into him, the feel of the older man’s skin sliding against his own too much for his overtired brain to deal with. 

Harvey keeps his thrusts slow and meticulous, his hands roaming over the expanse of Mike’s back as his cock searches for the spot inside Mike that will make the younger man see stars. It doesn’t take long, Harvey’s almost got this down to a fine art, and Mike bucks desperately against him, torn between wanting to drag this out forever and wanting to come already.

Harvey sucks a mark into the back of Mike’s neck as he keeps nailing his prostrate and wishes he could hear Mike’s moans. He feels the younger man losing control underneath him, muscles spasming as he attempts to fight off his orgasm, the tightening of his hole around Harvey’s cock sending the older man to the edge extremely quickly.

It doesn’t take long after that, Mike rutting against the mattress as Harvey fucks into him, tongue licking at his neck, hands burning across his entire body. Mike bites into the pillow as he comes, Harvey into Mike’s neck, and both men ride out the waves of their pleasure together.

The sound of their heavy breathing permeates the room as their heart rates slowly settle once again. Harvey stays glued to Mike’s back, happy to stay in close contact with his partner, delighting in such a rare opportunity. He knows they should move, that they need to at least slip some pants on, but Harvey’s comfortable where he is and Mike’s definitely not complaining either so Harvey figures they can indulge for a few more minutes.

When he finally decides he can move without too much effort, Harvey slides out of Mike and rolls onto the mattress next to him, kissing his partner softly on the cheek, “Good morning.”

Mike’s eyes remain closed, Harvey’s half-convinced the younger man’s fallen back asleep, but a quiet “I love you” escapes Mike’s mouth and a small smile etches its way onto his lips.

**********

Harvey wants to hate the skull, he really does, but he just can’t.

It’s all Donna’s fault really. After the whole penguin incident she bet Mike that he wouldn’t ever again get a new tattoo without checking with Harvey first. Of course the younger man had argued that he didn’t need Harvey’s permission to mark his own skin, causing the whole thing to escalate even further. Donna started small, naming idiotic things that Mike would never dare get inked into his skin, Mike countering for nearly all of them that yeah, he would if he wanted them. Donna progressively made her way to more intense, outlandish and inappropriate suggestions, watching Mike like a hawk waiting on its prey. Once the skull was mentioned, Harvey could sense the following _‘prove it’_ from a mile away and he wasn’t disappointed.

Mike accepted the dare, of course he did, the kid hardly backed down from anything, but Donna had just laughed in his face. She didn’t believe him, she’d said that despite his bravery she didn’t think Mike was actually stupid enough to go through with it, that Harvey would kill him.

Clearly she doesn’t know Mike as well as she likes to think because now the kid has a fucking skull tattooed on his arm.

And Harvey loves it.

He wants to hate it. More than anything he wishes he could hate it, just so he didn’t have to admit that it’s not so bad. 

Mike’s face when he tells him is smug and insatiable and Harvey can’t stand the sight. He kisses the look off Mike’s face and figures his life could be much worse than a range of impromptu and beautiful artworks.

**********

That thing about Mike being good with birthday presents? Once again, he proves Harvey right.

He comes home after a long day to a quiet house and the whole setting is unexpected and slightly daunting after he’d imagined coming home to a loving partner and a hyperactive six year old. He calls Mike’s name out into the seemingly empty apartment, a soft gasp escaping as he rounds the corner and finds a scattering of candles lit all around the condo. Harvey hears the footsteps entering from the bedroom, Mike stepping through the doorway just seconds later.

“Hey.”

Harvey moves towards him almost instinctively, wrapping his arms around Mike’s waist and kissing him softly on the lips, once, twice, before leaning their foreheads together and revelling in his lovers presence, “Hey yourself.”

“Good day?”

“Busy day. Lunch has been the best bit.”

Saturday’s were Mike’s allocated day off, technically due to the fact that they had to ensure one of them was always there to look after Will, but really because Harvey usually managed to wrangle his way out of working them too. Being name partner had its perks. But of course today of all days, Harvey’s birthday, he’d been called in. He’d gotten the phone call the night before, a long-time client desperate for an urgent meeting, pleading with Harvey that it couldn’t wait until Monday. Reluctantly he’d agreed but had refused to meet any earlier than 10am. He refused to be at the office any earlier than that on his birthday.

It made him laugh how much his life has changed since meeting Mike. Before the younger man had crashed his way into Harvey’s life, Harvey probably wouldn’t have even noticed it was his own birthday until he got a call from Marcus or a present from Donna, whichever happened to occur first. Now he always tried to take his birthday off work, to spend the day with his family, to celebrate himself for just one day, to allow himself to be spoiled by someone else. And Mike always did a fantastic job of it.

He’d woken up to possibly the best blowjob of his life, followed by pancakes that were absolutely to die for and a wrestle on the sofa with his son. Harvey was rather proud of himself for managing to make it into the office by 9.30, however reluctant he was to leave his family at home.

It turns out Richard Carlton really was up shit creek and if it weren’t a Saturday Harvey probably would have called Mike in to help him out with the case. As it was, he was set to be stuck inside his office all day, trading phone calls with the opposing counsel and trying to find an associate in the building who wasn’t an incompetent dipshit. Harvey didn’t like his chances.

Finally a phone call came in around 1pm that managed to improve Harvey’s mood tenfold.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well someone’s in a good mood, are you sure you’re at work?”

Sometimes Harvey still couldn’t believe how easily Mike makes him laugh, “What can I say? I had a brilliant wake up call.”

“That you did.”

Harvey spun in his chair to face out the windows, ultimately hiding his soft smile from the rest of the firm. It wouldn’t do his reputation any good if an associate were to walk past and see him acting human.

“What’s up?”

“I just wanted to see how your day was going, if you have time for lunch?”

Twenty minutes later he was approaching his favourite diner down the street and was greeted by a small form colliding with his knees.

“Hey buddy, how you going?”

“Good Papa! How’s your birthday?” Will lifted his hands up towards Harvey, silently asking to be picked up and held. Harvey did as requested, holding his son close and kissing him softly.

“It’s better now I’ve seen you.”

Will scrunched up his nose but laughed and clung on tighter, making Harvey eternally grateful for his wondrous family.

Lunch had gone by way too quickly for his liking and was cut short by Marcus calling to wish him a happy birthday. Mike had smiled gently; understanding that Harvey needed the time with his brother and also needed to get back to work, so Mike called lunch quits early. Will had groaned and sulked and it was so uncharacteristic and adoringly heartfelt that Harvey had to smile at him despite the tantrum. Harvey vowed to be home as soon as possible and turned to walk back towards the office, phone pressed to his ear and Marcus talking a mile a minute.

After that the afternoon had dragged on depressingly slowly. Harvey was anxious to get home to his family, to escape the seemingly infinite stream of paperwork that was making its way onto his desk. 

It hadn’t been until almost 8pm that he’d covered enough work to justify leaving the office, and even if it meant he’d have to head in again the next day, he was happy to be heading home. 

Now, standing in the living room, arms wrapped around Mike, the younger man leaning into him, Harvey wishes he’d come home hours ago.

“Where’s Will?” Harvey’s hesitant to break the silence but he can’t not ask.

“Donna’s got him.”

Surprised is an understatement, “How’d you manage that?”

“She was happy to take him.”

“I wasn’t talking about Donna.” Harvey knows how much of a struggle it must have been for Mike to convince Will to spend the night at Donna’s, to be away from them on the night of Harvey’s birthday. The term ‘shit fight’ immediately comes to mind and Harvey’s thankful he hadn’t been the one who had to go through it. He presses another soft kiss against Mike’s lips, “Thank you.” 

“You’re worth it.” Mike kisses him again, a touch of tongue creeping out to run along Harvey’s lips, “I have a surprise for you.”

Harvey waggles his eyebrows in response and revels in the surge of laughter that erupts from Mike’s lips.

“Maybe that too, but it isn’t what I meant.”

“Oh?”

Mike pulls back then, taking Harvey by the hand and leading him towards the sofa. He presses his hands to Harvey’s chest, revelling in the feel of strong muscle under the ridiculously expensive fabric of Harvey’s dress shirt, and pushes. He can’t help the quiet chuckle that escapes at the look of pure shock that crosses Harvey’s face as he collapses into the sofa. Mike uses the opportunity to study Harvey sprawled out below him before he climbs onto Harvey’s lap, pushing himself close to the older man, lips trailing up the line of Harvey’s cheekbone.

“Hi.” Harvey can’t help the shudder that runs throughout his body as Mike whispers in his ear and pushes his hips into Harvey’s own.

“Hi yourself.”

Mike pulls back enough to run his tongue along Harvey’s lips, deepening the kiss when the older man moans against his mouth. They stay like that for some time, basking in the feel of each other’s bodies, delighting in the opportunity to be together, to kiss, to touch, without interruption. 

It’s too soon for Harvey’s liking when Mike pulls back, sitting almost upright in Harvey’s lap with a wicked grin on his face.

“I was going to wait until after dinner to show you but I just can’t.”

That piques Harvey’s interest. Mike’s always been good at birthdays but this is something different, something _more_ , and Harvey’s torn between intrigue and insanity trying to figure out what the hell it might be. 

Harvey’s still trying to figure it out when Mike reaches over his head to pull at his t-shirt. He struggles with the shirt for a few moments, tossing the offending fabric aside once it’s finally removed and his skin is on display for Harvey to marvel at.

For all of Mike’s adventures in tattooing and covering both his arms and the majority of his legs, his chest has never once been touched. Until now.

Shining in the dim candlelight, still slightly red and tender, sits a new tattoo upon the previously unmarked array of skin on Mike’s chest. For as much as Harvey’s both loved and hated Mike’s previous designs, nothing in the world compares to this. His heart swells and his words catch in his throat. Carved into Mike’s left pectoral muscle, guarding his heart from all other intrusions, lies one simple word:

_**Harvey** _

**Author's Note:**

> For now links are all to my photobucket until I can find and replace with the original sources:
> 
> • [william - left bicep](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/102897-a2463dc6-f06f-11e3-aad6-e5c45a718cb3.jpg)  
> • [green star - left wrist](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/star-tattoo-11468124135515_1.jpg)  
> • [left arm - jigsaw, line work, penguin](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/Screen%20shot%202015-10-22%20at%207.15.49%20AM.png)  
> • [batman - right forearm](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/c942d93de7434f44dafdbed9599accc7.jpg)  
> • [flames - both forearms (outer)](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/flame_mx50.jpg)  
> • [line work - right leg](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/Tribal-Leg-Tattoo-for-Man.jpg)  
> • [Stark Trek - left thigh](http://rebeccagrayellrees.deviantart.com/art/Enterprise-Star-trek-Tattoo-392660074/)  
> • [pineapple - left hip](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/summer-lovin-tropical-tattoos-fall--large-msg-14050211408704.jpg)  
> • [oh! the places you'll go! - left ankle](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/dsc_00011.jpg)  
> • [octopus - left calf](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/Cool-nails-and-black-octopus-tattoo1.jpg)  
> • [skull - right arm/shoulder (deltoid)](http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/curley_wurley/tattoos/large.jpg)
> 
> find me on tumblr: [teamfreewill-](http://teamfreewill-.tumblr.com/)
> 
> comments are food for my soul <3


End file.
